Open Your Eyes
by Genjoe
Summary: What if your gods and devils were all living in your head? Shinji wakes to a world where somethings...off.
1. Chapter 1

Open your Eyes

Chapter One

Red waves crashed against white sand.

He could feel his fingertips dig into the flesh of her neck while his thumbs pressed into her throat; the lifeless eye stared at him wantonly.

Anger, hatered, love, sadness, all these churned in his mind as he felt her windpipe begin to collapse.

Something warm on his cheek.

A hand.

Her hand.

…_Thank you…_

The words rung in his mind. His grip slackened.

The hand softly caressed his cheek as he stared in disbelief at the red headed girl, the girl that had denied him at every turn; the girl that said she 'hated' him. His tears slipped down his face splashing on to hers'.

He let go of her neck.

He balled up against her chest in a strangled sob.

She looked down at the quivering mass of boy on her stomach.

"I feel sick."

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**A Genjoe Alternate Universe Production.**

This is inspired by the Events of 'Evangelion'

I am not the creator, or at least not of this amazing series, perhaps the universe though….

Or not.

No profit has seen its way to my hands in regard to this fic,

so please don't sue this broke ass cracker for having too much

free time.

Enjoy the show.

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His mind wrenched with white hot pain.

_Eva, Asuka, Rei…_

…_Father_.

Shinji hit the hard ground wet.

His shoulder throbbed with a dull pain. He tried to reach for it only to find his arms would not respond.

Funny.

He didn't remember falling, or the beach being so tough.

"Hold him!" That voice, he knew that voice.

Dr. Akagi

Dead.

Why isn't she dead?

_Asuka._ The girls tear streaked face flashed in his mind.

Shinji felt rough hands pin his unresponsive arms that were made of lead. "Get her out of here!"

He struggled to open his eyes.

Light flooded in blinding him in the blurry world.

A fuzzy slash of red.

Asuka.

Asuka, I'm sorry, I couldn't do it.

I failed again.

"Shigure, call Maya! Tell her we've made a breakthrough, and call the boy's father!" The female voice called again.

Who's voice was it?

Dr. Akagi.

That was the voice.

"What's the fathers' name?" Another voice, a man's voice.

Shigure.

Why wouldn't Shigure know fathers name?

Father.

"Gendo Ikari! It'll be in his file on my desk!" Dr. Akagi.

What's happening to me?

Blackness claimed him.

***

Cicadas.

Shinji's eyes cracked open at the sound of the droning insect as he observed an all too familiar ceiling. He attempted to move his limbs to push himself up on the bed only to find that they felt raw and heavy. His throat was sore and lips were chapped. His eyes stung from the bright light pouring through the large window to his left.

His eyes adjusted to the light, he glanced out the window.

A play ground.

The swings silently swayed in an unseen gentle breeze outside the tall windows. The polls that held the swings stood cheerily in vibrant reds an yellows, while a slide further down shouted its cool blues and gleaming silver metal.

Shinji lay in his bed. A confused expression settled on his face as he stared at the epitome of serenity.

Silence stood as a pillar.

The door to his room clicked and creaked open to admit a blonde woman too absorbed in her reading to notice that the occupant of the room lie awake looking at her through lethargic half lidded eyes.

Dr. Akagi.

The woman glanced at the clock on the wall behind her and began scribbling on her clipboard that was loud in the silence of the still room. She then grabbed a rolling chair residing next to the wall and the crook of the door.

The ball Barings and rollers thundered through Shinji's eardrums making him cringe, small clinks and metallic clanks were almost a train wreck in his ears.

She stopped at the end of the bed.

She folded her legs causing a slight zipping sound through her pantyhose as they scraped together. She continued to write in earnest on her clipboard. The pen chiseled its way through the unseen document. Small pauses would offer a slight reprieve to his ears, but soon started again with each of the fresh scribbles.

"Dr. Akagi..."

The writing stopped.

Slowly the woman looked up to see the semiconscious boy gazing at her from his resting place.

She looked expectantly at his still form.

"…Your writings too loud…"

Carefully she unfolded her legs and stood from the rolling stool.

Small clink went through the chair with the slight movement.

Never taking her eyes from the young Japanese boy she walked to the counter and laid the clipboard down with a soft scrape and clack. Her heels clogged sharp in contrast to the almost deafening silence that permeated the room. After several steps the clogging sounds stopped at the side of his bed.

Feebly Shinji tried to turn his head, but was only successful in directing his sore eyes to the blonde woman.

Carefully she bent down till he could smell the powerful aroma of cigarettes and perfume. Unable to stop himself he took a deep breath of the strange yet arousing mix of scents.

The boys' vision was filled with the emerald green of the blonde doctors' eyes. "Shinji… what's my full name?"

What the hell kind of question was that?

Was she coming on to him?

Shinji thought with a tad disbelief, but after a lethargic moment surmised it was probably a memory test of some kind; might account for why things didn't look so bad outside or his confused state of memory.

"Your name is Dr. Ritsuko Akagi, head of project-E, and one of my superior officers." His voice hoarsely rasped with bits of phlegm and dry mouth.

Slowly the blonde woman stood, her eyes never leaving the tired boys. Confusion knit across her face as she stared at him.

Shinji would have normally felt unnerved at the woman's behavior, but was too confused and dazed to notice or care.

The doctor gave the boy an appraising look before grabbing up her clipboard and hurrying to the door. The Mechanisms for the latch were sharp and clear in Shinji's ear as he watched the doctor's coat flutter; leaving the room.

The door slowly shut on its delayed hinge before thundering its closure.

He lay there contemplating the woman's behavior before the heaviness of his mind and eyes worked to drift him into a gentle sleep.

***

The crossing siren grew louder and louder. Its fever pitch almost deafening till it past and faded to nothing.

Clack-clack.

Clack-clack.

Small gaps and uneven rail spikes shuddered through the narrow passenger car.

The car was empty.

Shinji sat alone looking out to the setting sun on the city. The light blinded him in its amber hues.

Further up the line the cars darkened to black. The blackness washed over him leaving only the rhythmic thump of the rails and hum like rake of metal against metal that droned with the movement of the train.

The light shattered the darkness coming out of the tunnel, once again bathing the train in orange tones.

But he was no longer alone.

Asuka.

Her face was obscured black by the light, but he'd recognize the red mane with those A-10 neural connectors anywhere. She sat in her school uniform facing his direction. If she was looking at him he couldn't tell, though Shinji had the distinct impression that her sapphire eyes were boring into his own downcast cobalt eyes.

…_Shinji…_

Death.

Pain.

Love.

Hate.

Eva…

All these flashed through the boys mind as his name appeared in his head.

Shinji tried to cover his ears, but found that it did not stop the images or feelings. Or her words.

… _Shinji, why did you leave me?..._

Hate.

Anger.

Death.

Loneliness.

I'm sorry Asuka, I failed. I couldn't save you. He glanced up at the figure hidden in the blinding light of the sun. Her form sent sprawling branches of light in all directions around her giving menace to the quiet words that echoed in the you boys brain. Her voice seemed almost…'lost'… Like a child speaks when they can't find their parent in a store or at the zoo.

…_Why did you leave?…_

The voice again thundered in his minds ear. Shinji shook his head violently back and forth as he tried to expel the feelings and words that threatened to burst from his very skull.

…_Why?..._

His knuckles turned white.

…_Why?..._

He tore at his head as another crossing siren crescendo by the train.

Clack-Clack.

Clack-Clack.

The thudding of the wheels added to the frenzy of noise as he felt his psyche begin to crack under the pressure.

…_WHY!..._

"NOOOOOOOO!"

Shinji shot forward as he woke.

His movement forward was to be caught in someone's warm embrace.

"Shhh, it's okay Shinji, I'm here, it's okay now." The voice was warm and pleasant, and male, he didn't know who it was, but he brought his arms up in thanks to weakly hug the man in return. The man rubbed Shinji's back in a motion that was soothing bleeding all the tension out of the young boy's muscles. Shinji notice that the windows were now dark and the stars shone through gaps in the veil of clouds the sky held; he must have slept most of the day away, oh well, it's not like he had anywhere to go.

Not since Rei.

Not after that.

Shinji's mind drifted back to the present.

The man's strong hands felt good on his tender back. The simple up and down motion drew the soreness right out of the young pilots skin making him feel heavy enough that he was sure he'd fall back to sleep again. Shinji noticed the gentle prickle of stubble on the side of the scalp as the man hummed into Shinji's ear. Taking a breath the boy caught the strong woodsy scent from the man with a light touch of tobacco giving the young Ikari the impression of a campfire.

Did everyone take up smoking?

Oh, well.

His mind blanked of everything, but the simple sensation of the strong caress. The familiar sent and the smooth rumble of the humming voice were all that occupied the tired third child's' mind.

Taking another breath the scent drew his addle mind to figure out who was holding him.

Who was it that felt that he deserved such tenderness?

He wasn't worth this kindness.

Not after what he'd done.

Not after he defiled Asuka.

Not at the end of the world.

But the man being so kind heard none of Shinji's deprecating thoughts as he continued with his rhythmic movements.

Opening his eyes Shinji looked to the back of the dim room with only the lightest touch of a lamp near his bed illuminating its far wall. Looking down as best he could his eyes caught sight of light brown plaid flannel. Past the arch of the man's back all Shinji could see was the white tile of the floor that also seemed to have been under the spell the dark had cast upon the rooms white features.

"Thank you."

The man's movements stopped at the light wheeze that came from the exhausted boy.

After a moment the man returned to stroking the boy's back with just a touch slower tempo than he had been. The man remained quiet leaving Shinji with a nagging feeling he should say something else, the man then spoke in a rumbled whisper. "For what Shinji?"

The voice made the third child's ears twitch with familiarity, but not enough to trigger his slow mind. Shinji breathed deep as it was difficult to speak with his sore vocal cords, "For being so kind to me…"

Shinji felt and heard the older man chuckle causing his stubble to poke the boy's face, but he didn't mind, someone wanted to be close to him.

And for that he was grateful.

The man gave Shinji's sweat soaked hair a quick ruffle with his strong hands, making the lonely boy nuzzle against the man's flannel shoulder.

The two sat there in the darkness quietly appreciating each others company.

Feeling himself doze he slumped into the man's shoulder.

Shinji felt his weigh shift to his back causing him to wake from his momentary slumber to look blurrily at the man's face. The shape was nagging at the young boys mind but couldn't get his vision to clear enough; focusing harder the third child blinked his eyes in concentration to at least see who his benefactor was.

His vision cleared.

Oh, how he wish it hadn't.

"AH! GET AWAY FROM ME! AH!"

The man flinched at the boy's sudden shriek of terror but, soon found himself fending off weak, earnest kicks and, slaps as the boy tried to get him away.

Shinji tore at the man with all his might, but his beleaguered limbs lacked the power to push the horror away. His cries made his voice horse and it cracked under the strain of his plight. "Shinji what's wrong!" The man called trying to get a hold of his stick like arms.

Shinji renewed his efforts and wailed louder hopping that it would either drive the man away or wake him from his nightmare. "GET AWAY!"

The nurse burst into the room slashing the far end of the tile with bright light. "What's happening?" The attendant looked on as the man finally restrained the boy. "I don't know! He just started screaming and telling me to get away!"

The nurse put a hand to the terrified boys head as he fought the man's stronger grip. Placing her hands on his neck and looking to his heart monitor she settled on the man holding the third child down. "Stay here I'm gonna get a sedative!"

Shinji watched the man turn and follow the nurse out then whipped his head back to Shinji causing him to scream more. "Shinji what's wrong!"

The third child could only look on in terror and scream as the visage of Gendo Ikari looked down upon him with a worried expression. Time and time again Shinji tried to will his mind to wake from the nightmare.

No matter how hard he struggled though, Gendo Ikari, the Supreme Commander of NERV, his father, would not leave his eyes.

And so he screamed.

***

Cicadas.

The noisy insects chirp filled the air muffled only by the glass; once again flooded by bright light.

Shinji opened his eyes looking again at the cheerful playground. The swing still swayed in a light breeze that remained invisible but kept pushing the child pendulum with a light rocking.

Was last night a dream? Did he really see his father?

Thinking if his memories were merely a stress induced nightmare the boy couldn't shake the sense of déjà vu that came with the carbon copy scene before him.

A light noise to his right caught the boy's sensitive ears. It was a soft rhythmic noise.

Breathing?

Turning his head a little the noise became more recognizable.

Snoring.

Using what strength he had the third child forced his head to flop toward the noise.

Shinji flinched a bit at what greeted his sight, but after seeing that the person was asleep allowed himself to study the familiar yet alien person before him.

Gendo Ikari, sat slumped in an arm chair his head resting against the ball of his fist while a small line of drool snaked its way from the corner of his stubble mouth. In all the elder Ikari's snores weren't that loud; just a wheeze that shifted across the bed ridden boy's ears. As the Eva pilot observed his commander he noted the lack of normal attire that constituted the most feared man on earth. Gone was the crimson turtleneck and black dress uniform and in its place sat a rough yet humble man wearing a brown plaid shirt that he first saw him in when he woke and a faded pair of blue jeans littered with patches.

Was this stereotypical image of a working man his father? How long was he out that the Supreme Commander of NERV wore the clothes of the common. Looking closer the third child also noted much to his shock that the thick jaw line bearded was gone and after a moment of searching could not find the dark tinted glasses the contained the cold eyes that so often had sneered down at him.

What had happened?

What was going on?

"I see you're awake…"

With strength born of fear the startled young pilot shot his head to the origin of the voice.

At the foot of his bed sat Fuyutsuki Kozo who closed the small paper back novel he'd been reading.

The Vice Commander of NERV?

Shinji thought back to the few times he'd seen the man.

He didn't dislike the old scarecrow, but felt some apprehension due to how close he was to his father whose image was still in question at the moment.

The boy's brow knit as the old man watched him, almost studying his reaction to his ancient presence.

The two stared at one another.

Cicadas droned.

The thin old man extracted himself from the stool he'd been sitting on and drug it over to the boy's bed side. The scraping of the rattling metal was hard on his ears but did not cause him to wince as the doctor had.

The old man's steel eyes bore into Shinji's sore blue ones.

He smiled, "Heard you kinda freaked out last night." His tone was rough with age, but pleasant as crow's feet creased the corners of mans eyes. Looking down, Shinji found it hard to meet the old mans gaze; he noticed the Vice Commanders lack of uniform much like his father. Instead a white button up shirt with pressed lines draped the man's frame while brown slacks gave the confused boy the impression of an old-folks home resident.

Shinji looked back to the aged man.

He was greeted again with the fossils scrutinizing stare.

Cicadas chirped.

"The nurse said you didn't even recognize your own father." Fuyutsuki smiled as he continued. "He's been worried about you ya know, watched you the whole night." The old man looked down and grimaced more at his paper back book, "Well I guess it's only natural to be confused as long as you've been out."

Again Shinji's brow drew down.

Coughing a bit and clearing his throat the Eva pilot used his small strength and forced his mouth to move. "C-commander, what's happened? How long was I out?" The boy asked hoping that the old man would ease his scattered understanding.

The grey haired old man raised his eyebrow at the boy before him. "I've always asked for respect from you Shinji, but I don't think 'Commander' is necessary…"

This left the young Ikari all the more dumbfounded. He watched as the man played with his book looking down before looking up with sad eyes. "As for how long you've been out… I … I'll leave that question to your father." The frail old man could no longer look at Shinji as the young Eva pilot saw strained moisture make its ways past the old mans crows feet.

"Com- Fuyutsuki-san, why are you crying?" Shinji asked the sobbing man, the question seemed to only fuel the man's plight. After a moment of nerve wracking sobs the brown haired boy's eyes widened as he found himself thrown into a strong bear-hug from the old man who didn't seem like he'd be letting go anytime soon. "Thank god you're okay, Thank god!"

This was getting the boy nowhere, all his question seemed to go unanswered and daze him even more. Why were his father and the Vice Commander so different now? One had abandoned him in his childhood and the other had rarely shown interest in his existence.

While these thoughts and the awkwardness of the situation plagued him he could not deny the comfort he felt from the man. The young Ikari focused on the smell of the old mans after shave feeling a nagging familiarity much like the scent that came from when his father held him as he first woke. Shinji had to shake his head at that though and glanced over to the sleeping man who was still snoring lightly while the grey haired man wept against him.

As he focused on the warm embrace and tried to Identify the memory of the man's after shave his sensitive ears picked up the clogging of two pairs of heels growing in volume and tempo. Soon a pair of voice floated with the clicking feet, both of which he recognize.

"So he knows your full name, sometimes people in a vegetative state can recount things said around them, I imagine one of your orderlies has to have said it at least once!" A voice was speaking to Ritsuko in a condescending tone as they came closer to his door. "It's not just that! He knew that I was the head of the project!" Ritsuko sounded a bit more flustered as she spoke to the other woman almost pleading.

The door clicked open.

"Ritsuko, you cry wolf now and you're going to be the laughing stock of the medical community," The younger woman sighed exasperated as she held the door open for the faux blonde.

Both women stepped in to come up short as they saw the thin boy being held by the weeping man. "Did we come at a bad time?" Maya asked in a tone laced with concern.

Sniffing a bit the old man loosened his embrace on the bed ridden third child, "No… I'm just…" Fuyutsuki disengaged from Shinji and stood.

Walking a short distance the man stopped at arms length and looked at the faces to the two expectant women.

Shinji raised his eyebrow at the scene seeming strange that Maya and the commander be out of their typical uniforms, but Ritsuko still in hers.

Suddenly the gray haired man bowed deep; shocking the Eva pilot enough to twitch and startle the two doctors.

He stood up a bit looking at their perplexed faces.

The two women looked back waiting.

He descended back into his deep bow, "Thank you for bringing him back to us…"

Maya shifted uncomfortably while Ritsuko blushed and hid it with her clipboard, "That's not really necessary Kozou-san." Maya said after a moment.

The old man continued to bow, "We owe you a great debt…" he looked into Ritsuko's eyes, "Should you ever need anything, you have but to ask." The bottle blonde doctor fidgeted and re ran the words through her head before nodding to the older man, "Thank you Kozou-san."

With that Fuyutsuki stood and looked to the perplexed third child.

"I imagine you want to speak with him," the strange Vice Commander said stepping from the bed to make a path for the two doctors.

Maya strolled up to the side of the bed pulling Ophthalmoscope from her lab coat and plucking the young Ikari's lids open. "Subject Ikari, Shinji." She flashed the light of the optical device in his pupils, switching from one then to the other. "Dilation is normal." Ritsuko frantically scribbled on the clipboard as Maya rattled off her evaluation.

Plugging the stethoscope in her ears Maya pressed the cool metal to his chest causing him to gasp. "Breath normally Mr. Ikari." Glaring at her a bit for the rough treatment he did her bidding.

After a moment the lab coated Ibuki nodded her head, "respiration good."

Ritsuko scribbled more on the clipboard.

Shinji frowned at this; he watched as the short haired tech looked to his heart monitor and rattled off his blood pressure and body temperature. Looking to the head of Project-E Shinji watched with a sense of detachment no longer hearing the calculating and seemingly superior Lieutenant Ibuki command and relay when he'd seen the blonde scientist do it so many times in the past.

Glancing up; Ritsuko caught Shinji's bewildered gaze making her stop in mid scribble to gaze upon the boy's expression.

The two stared at one another for what felt like eons.

"Ritsuko!" The blonde flinched at her called name.

"Yes Ibuki-sama!" she almost snapped into a salute. "Have you been paying attention to what I'm saying? This maybe your project, but I am director of this wing!" Ritsuko bowed to the dark haired woman in shame.

She opened her mouth in apology, but a soft voice stayed her.

"Miss Ibuki, when did you get promoted past Dr. Akagi?" Maya and Ritsuko blinked at the boys' whispered statement. Quickly Maya turned to look at the boy, "I thought that she was in charge of you and the other bridge technician's, what happened that my father and Fuyutsuki? Are they no longer commanders? And what happened to Misato, Rei and Asuka."

Maya flinched at the last name.

Shinji looked around the room at the surprised faces coming from the former Vice Commander rounding to Ritsuko.

Maya looked down at Shinji with a neutral expression and what looked like a hint of suspicion to the third child.

"Shinji… What do you know about Asuka...?" She spoke her words slow and deliberate as one would to small child or someone mentally handicapped.

His brow coming down in frustration and anger, the Eva pilot took a stiff breath and exhaled sharp, "I'm tired of these games! What happened? Why is everyone so different?!" The shouting and numerous voices brought the light snoring senior Ikari out of his exhausted slumber, "Uh, Humr, _cough_… What's going on?" He said with a stifled yawn.

"Shinji." Maya spoke crisp.

His head snapped back to her as she leaned in close with a look of determination. "What do you know about Asuka?" she spoke more firm.

"Oh, you're awake again Shinji… Kozou-san! I didn't know you came in!"

"You see Maya I told you! He knows!"

"Quite! It's probably just a coincidence!"

"I came in this morning; I saw you sleeping and thought it better not to wake you…"

The noise swam about the third Childs head as he was asked the same questions and strange familiar faces held simple conversations.

_Shinji_

Asuka's voice boomed in his head.

The noise was deafening

_Shinji!_

He clamped his hands over his ears in hopes to shut out the noise.

_Shinji!!!_

"SHUT UP!!!"

The room fell silent. All eyes fixed on the thin boy lying in the hospital bed.

Cicadas chirped in the sudden silence that the young Ikari demanded.

"Tell me about Asuka, Shinji…" Maya cut the veil of quiet.

He fixed a hard gaze on Maya. "Asuka Langley Souryue, is the designated pilot of Eva Unit-02"

Maya's eyes grew like saucers, "What does she look like!" she asked abandoning all formal etiquette invading his personal space.

Shinji took in her strange demeanor with raised eyebrows. "She the only red head in the city that I know of. Maybe the only German in the city for that matter."

Shock gaped across the former techs mouth while her dark eyes looked crazed at the young Eva pilot.

Maya went to sprint from the bed to hit the call button on the wall, when a hand grabbed her wrist.

Looking down to the wrist she slowly glanced up and caught the hard cold eyes of the Eva pilot.

He whispered in a soft voice, "… Answer some of my questions…"

He loosened his grip on the woman.

"…What happened to us…?"

A/N: Why is Shinji in the Hospital? Why is everyone so different? Where is the rest of the Eva cast?

Stay tuned!

To those of you that are worried about my Pandora fic, this is just something I've been working on for a while to tide you over while I work more on it. Spelling and corrections are ghastly in this I know. Having problems finding a beta-reader. Past that let me know what you think!


	2. Chapter 2

Open your Eyes

Chapter 2

With a trembling hand Ritsuko brought the cigarette to her dry lips.

When did her throat go so dry?

Ah, it was about a few hours ago, they had brought the young Ikari to the interview room. She'd just finished setting up the camera when Dr. Ibuki walked in proceeded into the interview room with the two way mirrors so they could be observed but let Shinji feel comfortable to talk to her.

3 hours later no one felt comfortable.

"They ate her, when I made it to the surface I saw them with the pieces in their mouth..." Ritsuko watched as he grabbed his head and shuddered a breath, "...after that... I lost it, I couldn't take anymore." He trembled a from behind the two way mirror, the blond watched as Maya tried to put a reassuring hand on him only to have it deflected by a shaky hand.

Taking another drag Ritsuko shuddered as well at what the boy had recounted, looking to the rest of the people observing she surmised they didn't fare much better.

Mr. Ikari for his part just sat with his face in his hands sobbing at the horror his son had just told them.

The boy's grandfather didn't fare as well as he was retching in the trashcan on the far side of the room. Looking long from the corner of her eye the blond could make out the distinct smell of bile and undigested food wafting from the old man's direction she returned her gaze back to the interview room.

The cling of the dim light from the glass made the shadow's feel sticky on her and made her wish to be out in the sun away from the dark in that boy.

"Then he smiled at me..." Shinji looked to the far wall as a chill worked its way through, "And I just let it happen... Everyone... died..."

Feeling her nerves she took another shaky drag of her cigarette.

She closed her eyes trying to block out the boy's tale, exhaling webs of smoke from her crimson painted lips.

"So fucked up."

She heard herself say.

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**A Genjoe Alternate Universe Production.**

Sound the trumpets!

For the end is near!

Well, maybe not quite for this fic...

But the show must go on lock your doors and windows seeing as I eat babies for lunch!

I don't Own Eva, but by god if I'll write about it! So step right up and read on for the world is about to open at the new dawn!

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The third child was not happy.

Having to retell his tragic ordeal and not having his questions earlier that morning not answered weren't helping his mood. She dragged him down here wrote notes talked as though she were disconnected for it all. His father was cruel but this was inhuman. To act like she was hearing this for the first time?

What kind of sick joke was this? Was everyone in on it? And since when did his father have 'any' humor in that black stone that filled the space where his heart should have been?

Shinji watched as Maya gulped down the glass of water. Her fingers causing the glass to fog in conflict with its cool contents while the movement caused small rivulets of water cling to the see-through cylinder to collide and build into larger droplets that smacked the surface of the table.

All of it seemed to be in slow-motion.

He wasn't surprised she was appalled by his story, though he was still confused as to why she even had to ask.

Wasn't she there for most of it?

He could recall in almost crystal clarity with the exception of a handful of times that she fallowed the head of Project- E like a lost puppy dog. Even causing some unsavory rumors that she was a rug muncher. He was even sure that at the moment of instrumentality he had felt her soul brush over him recalling her in most desires and dark wants.

Even her involvement In creating the prototype core data for the dummy plug.

The dummy plug.

Touji.

Blood.

Betrayal.

Death.

Loss.

Eva.

The dummy plug system. An abomination created by the good doctor and her assistant. The unrestrained anger and rage of the first child loosed on the planet and his best friend.

Shinji came back as he looked at Maya set the glass back down with a light thump, but to his sensitive ears it might as well been a car wreck.

The third child stared at the small but bulbous liquid that magnified the fake wood grain of the table.

Wasn't it her that activated the dummy plug?

Shinji looked on at the short haired scientist as she rubbed her tired eyes. His face slipped into a mask of displeasure the more he thought.

She poured another glass of water, filling the quiet with the churning of water.

Wasn't it her that almost killed Touji?

Soon his heart was thudding in his ears, she thought after the part she played she could just pretend it didn't happen?

The third child's hand began to flex.

His muscles burned at the simple movement but felt it give him power.

Seeing the woman take another drink enraged the boy thinking of how his friend could no longer even lift a glass, and it was her fault!

His flexing hand came to a tight fist and in a blur of motion snatched the half empty pitcher of water and leaped across the table. Maya only had time to look up from the abrupt scooting sound of the chair.

His sore muscles burned at the movement but by god she was going to pay.

White grinning bloody eyeless faces flashed into his mind

The pitcher shattered across the left side of her face sending her and fragments of glass clattering to the floor.

_Shinji_

The second child's voice rung in his mind.

In slow motion the door at the far end of the white room burst open in slow motion the sound seemed almost garbled in water as the bottle blond rushed in to Maya's unmoving form. She was followed by two large orderlies while a third held the strange version of his father back.

Shinji sighed as the two men tackled him to the ground, one swung down a white pen into the side of his neck.

The after shave of the man scraped his senses, making him think of Kaji.

The white of the room faded and darkness claimed him.

* * *

Beep.

Beep.

Beep.

The sound eroded the fog of the third child's mind but at the price of his head aching, reminding him of his first sortie in the Eva.

In an attempt to re leave the pounding of his skull Shinji tried to bring his hand to his face, only to discover it wouldn't move. He tried his other hand but to no avail. Past the constant beeping sound he heard a light scribbling sound carefully he opened his eyes, to his surprise he wasn't instantly blinded but was greeted with the room in golden hues signaling the end of the day was all but at hand or was it morning?

Catching sight of the source of the sound was a figure standing over him with a clipboard.

Maya.

Shinji looked hard at her left cheek seeing nothing wrong with it.

But hadn't he hit her? He was sure he'd thrown every once of his strength into that blow.

Where were the marks? How long has he been out?

Again he felt his sense of time distort in to something not unlike groundhog day.

Shinji coughed a bit drawing the figures eyes to him.

"Feeling better Mr. Ikari" Maya's voice was practically sub-zero.

The woman glanced at her watch then looking up past her brow as though trying to decide something.

Shinji tried to move his arms again, making his restraints zip and clink.

"Oh don't worry about moving, you'll be lucky we don't put you on an I.V. Diet and limit your activities to breathing and crapping in a bed pan after this evening." Her words laced with no small amount of vindictive command.

She went back to her clipboard.

Scribbling ensued for the next few minutes filling the quiet with a primitive textile symphony of pen and cardiogram.

"Seriously Mr. Ikari throwing the pitcher against the wall? This isn't some day time soap." She raised an eyebrow at the young man who looked at her confused. She sighed seeing his lack of understanding and continued with her report.

For several minutes the beeping of his heart monitor and the curt scratch of Maya's pen were his only companion.

Maya took a deep tired breath, "We'll fallow up on your recount of events in a couple of days, in the meantime I want you to just relax, and try to remember every detail you can."

She looked at his dark glare from under his bangs feeling a bit disturbed at their murderous intent but soon felt indignant a the treatment.

Giving the young Ikari one last scowl she quickly turned heal clogging across the tile till she met the door with a click and a resounding slam.

Seems that he'd have some time alone to think after all.

What the hell was going on?

Shinji tried to pull his thoughts together but to no avail, anything he thought of only brought a taste of bile to the back of his teeth and made his already hurting head ache more so.

In the end he decided to settle into the metronome of his monitor. Oddly he found the incessant beeping comforting, merely offering a simple tune to all the craziness of the last year.

But then he heard something beyond the room.

Voices.

At first barely but soon his hearing adjusted to their muffled sound behind the door.

"What do you mean we can't take him home? He's my son damn it!"

"Mr. Ikari, your son has obviously exhibited some elements of insatiability seeing the fantastic nature of his story and attacking me afterwards."

"You know why he attacked you? Cause you wouldn't leave him the fuck alone! God damn, you expect anyone to be okay after a nightmare like that?"

"I'm sorry but until we can find the root of these behaviors and delusions he presents to much of a danger to himself and others."

Shinji heard the male voice growl in frustration.

Listening a moment longer the voices never returned.

Delusions

Danger to others?

What the hell was going on?

The third child thought long into the night about what had been said in the hall, till sleep claimed him again.

* * *

_Shinji._

The all to familiar voice whispered thunderously into his mind.

Looking around the dream he recognized the 14th access hatch on the north end of the city. He looked down at himself to see that he was wearing his blue and white plug-suite.

_Shinji._

He looked across from him.

Asuka sat with her back to him.

Yellow quarantine tape made a flimsy wall between them but even now he dare not cross it. The young Ikari gulped feeling his throat dry at the haunting sight.

_Shinji, why did you leave?_

Her voice slammed his mind, desperate he clutched the side of his skull hoping the lame act would contain the pounding on his mind.

"I'm sorry Asuka..." Tears began to stream down the third childs face. "I wanted to help you, but they wouldn't let me go..." He thought back to the horror of that day, the screams for help the long wait for Rei to retrieve the weapon of fate.

Why had they even put him in the Eva. If all he could do was sit and listen to her fall to peices? He failed her, it had to be his fault, who else was their to blame other than the Invincible Shinji Ikari.

How low was he that he could only watch her mind get torn in to those peicies

He looked once more to the sobbing for of Asuka behind the yellow quarantine tape. How could Maya think her suffering a delusion?

Asuka wrapped her arms tight around her then with a scream of a thousand thunder claps shouted.

_Shinji!_

_* * *_

"Shinji!"

"Huh?" groggily moaned the third child.

Blinking his eyes to get the blur out of them he was a bit surprised to see emerald eyes staring inches from his own.

Tobacco and perfume.

Ritsuko?

Sure enough when his eyes focused he was able to make out the tear drop mole and blond bangs. "Dr. Akagi, what are you doing here?" He watched her open her mouth to respond but nothing came out. she worked it several more times searching for her words before a sheepish expression crossed her face.

"I'm not really sure..."

The young Ikari raised an eyebrow.

Noting the blue hues hanging off her skin and the rest of the room he was able to deduce that it was night and probably pretty late as she was whispering. Or perhaps she wasn't supposed to be their. Her presence getting the ball rolling on questions he had as to why Maya was ordering her around and the humble state of his father and the vice-commander he looked hard into her eyes. "Dr. Akagi, what happened to me, and where's Asuka? Why is everything so wrong?"

He watched as Ritsuko sat up with a tired look in her eyes. She took an exasperated breath and looked away from Shinji to the far window. Bone white light shone on her features which he could only guess was the moon.

"You try to tell yourself you won't get emotional or upset when you have to tell someone something bad." She glanced over at him giving a half hearted chuckle before looking back out the window. "You also tell yourself that you won't use every cliché in the book, like something off TV or a bad movie"

She ran a hand through her blond hair mussing it up a bit but seeming not to care.

She looked down at her lap as she began again. "You and your brother were side swiped by a semi on your way home..."

She glanced over to the third child who wore more than a bit of confusion but she shouldered on.

"...The wreck killed your brother... I'm sorry..." She glanced back at a bewildered Ikari.

"What are you talking about!" anger creeping into his voice at the doctor's joke and he wasn't finding the least bit funny.

"I don't even have a brother! And what wreck! I've never even been in a car wreck!" His eyes but vengeful slits in the shadows.

Ritsuko looked at Shinji with sad knowing eyes, "The wreck left you alive but sever head trauma was sustained leaving you a vegetable for almost 24 months..."

The doctor reached up startling the confused and angry Ikari to caress a slight scar just at the edge of his hairline.

She looked down for a moment; her shoulders slumping a bit. Taking a a breath she sat a bit taller; looking Shinji in the eye

"I guess what I'm trying to say is Shinji, is that you've been in a coma for two years."

* * *

For two days, Shinji had been studying the ceiling of his hospital room, It seemed so familiar to him, every nuance and imperfection a road map he could navigate with his eyes closed. A where's Waldo etched into his memory for all eternity, he even remembered that the nurses in this wing reserved this room for him and had a name plate to boot. Normally this would have been damaging to his ego but after Ritsuko's revelation, he would have found more comfort at seeing at least one of those nurses to lay waste to the blond doctors claim.

Although she could be restricting access to the other staff to complete the ruse.

The only problem was it explained everything.

His father, the vice-commander, even the situation of Ritsuko herself. And Shinji, had to admit, it would take a major galactic catastrophe for The supreme commander of NERV to play the part of a loving father.

But still he wared with the idea that all his suffering, all his pain and struggle were nothing more than the result of a twisted dream that he was until recently unable to wake from.

Needless to say the young Ikari had plenty of time to frown.

There was no way.

That the last year of his life.

Was a Dream?

_I don't want to die!_

She screamed through the radio.

_The room of Gauf is empty..._

The bottle blond said with the beep of the keypad.

_That was a grown up kiss._

He could taste her... her blood.

_I think I'm the third_

Rei.

The third child frowned hard.

He refused to believe that it was all a lie. But what evidence did he have to the contrary? Looking outside he could see no scars of the last year on the buildings or the red slash that marked the sky with him and Asuka on the beach.

And what of his father?

How was it the he was so different? Not even a ghost of the most feared man on earth resonated out of this stranger that wore his progenitors face.

And Dr. Akagi.

He was sure that she was dead.

Sure that he had touched her mind at the end of all things.

Shinji stared at the cool blues of night that clung to the oh so familiar ceiling hoping their flimsy tiles would help him wrap his mind around what was going on.

Third Impact.

That's what this had to be. Another possibility that Rei was showing him. Another temptation before him to create the world he wanted.

He wiped the sweat from his brow. As good as that sounded, he wasn't getting any answers soon.

CLICK!

The abrupt sound caused the third child to jump.

Peering through the bright hall light at the silhouetted figure he was soon able to make out some features.

"Dr. Akagi?"

She stepped into the room letting a lab coated Aoba and Shigure in with a gurney and a black bag on it.

He looked back and forth between the bridge techs and the doctor.

Seeing his confusion the blond smiled at him.

"It's time to go Shinji."

A/N: Seems I'm not getting peoples attention with this one.

Thought since this one deals only the Eva cast it would do a bit better. Well I'll throw this one out see if I get more bites. Again no beta-reader to be found and my friends are to lazy to read my work. Hope you enjoyed.


	3. Chapter 3

Open your Eyes

Chapter 3

"I can't believe I'm doing this!" Makoto said as they wheeled the gurney with the black body bag on it down the hall.

The tech looked frantically back and forth to each end of the hall.

"Chill, think of it as being in a spy movie and you're the supporting character getting the spy out of the country..." Both Ritsuko and Makoto looked incredulously at Shigeru, silently asking themselves if the long haired tech had just compared this to a cheesy spy movie.

"What?" he asked looking between the two "I like spy movies, and considering we're all probably going to lose our jobs over this I'll look at it the way I want!" He chuckled a bit at how he was throwing a perfectly good paycheck down the drain. But there was something in the boy's eyes when they came to get him, a feeling of knowing, that this was part of the reason he was here. It gave him that feeling that some moments in your life are to be that hand to help the person making their way to the top of the mountain.

That, and it was rare for Ritsuko to ask for help.

He could recall the time she refused to get maintenance to change a light bulb in her office and tried to change it herself.

It hadn't ended well.

"Yeah, and that's if they don't arrest us!" Makoto piped up.

The trio came to a secure glass door which Dr. Akagi rounded the gurney to swipe her card. The locked door thumped its locks and parted into the wall allowing the three to pass into the next wing. Ritsuko scanned the hall they just left to see if anyone had watched them leave.

Exhaling a bit when she found that the hall was indeed empty she turned to her fellow conspirators, "Anyone that wants out, well, you're out of luck now." She said with a lop-sided grin. Makoto and Shigeru glanced to one another and smiled. "Fuck this place." "Yeah, I was starting to feel too much like an adult, right man?" Shigeru patted the body bag hard which promptly groaned from the Impact.

"Hey, keep it down! Be kinda hard to explain why we have a body that groans short of saying a zombie," Ritsuko admonished the black bag. Shigeru arched an eyebrow at the bottle blond. "You give me shit for being a nerd, and you bring up zombies!"

Makoto hung his head, then looked to the other two "What is this, a rescue or a movie review?"

**------------------------------------------------------**

**------------------------------------------------------**

**A Genjoe Alternate Universe Production.**

As we march forward to a new age of peace and happiness. Till all are one!

Sound Transformers theme!

-crickets-

DJ must have died or something... well on with the show I suppose.

Don't Own no Eva, have seen no money for this fic.

Oh, for the love of god get reading!

**------------------------------------------------------**

**------------------------- - ---------------------------**

To say that Shinji was starting to have doubts was a bit of an understatement.

The slap from Shigeru had landed on his still sore stomach, and the zombies conversation and spy stuff? This had to be a dream of some kind. Normal people don't talk about stuff like this.

"It is completely possible to have a car convert into a submarine!" He could hear the long haired bridge tech almost shouting at the blond doctor.

"Aoba... are you even listening to yourself?" he could almost see Hyuga running his hand over his face in frustration.

"Seriously, the odds of a blood born virus makes far more sense than a British agent running around saving the world with his guns and charm." The mocking quality of Ritsuko's voice made the third child quirk an eyebrow in his dark confines. Did she really just defend the idea of their being undead monsters?

"What!? You're telling me that zombies are more probable than secret agents...? What kind bullshit is that? I'm beginning to think you belong on the other side of one of these doors."

"Hey! All I was saying is that it's possible for a blood born pathogen to invade a host and possibly alter their physical makeup!" She said

The temperature inside the body-bag was stifling. And what was that smell?

He was pretty sure it wasn't from him, and being in a sack for the dead didn't help his nerves.

Shinji felt the gurney slow to a stop.

He could hear typing to his right almost seeming to bounce off the ceiling and down to him, he wondered if he listened carefully if he could hear the person's breathing.

"So you're telling me that a laser watch is bullshit, but the undead to feast on the living is alright?"

The third child was pretty sure he was doomed.

"Yes! I'm saying's that it's more likely to see a virus convert its host than to see a 'dashing' spy with a bunch of gadgets." The pilot could tell that Ritsuko was getting annoyed.

"Nerd."

"Geek."

"Bitch."

"Both of you shut the fuck up!" Hyuga shouted at them from the foot of the gurney.

Shinji heard the strained sigh, "I can't take you two anywhere!" he heard something meaty slap at Makoto's end of the bed and quickly surmised that it was probably the techs hand against his head.

"What are you three going on about now?" The voice sounded old and scratchy, but definitely a woman. The kind that gave you visions of horn rimed glasses while wearing plastic pearls and chain smoked like a factory.

"She says zombies are real!"

"He's trying to convince me James Bond is!"

This was just too weird.

Aoba being like this wasn't so much a stretch, but him yelling at Ritsuko who was acting just as childish?

"Speaking of Zombies who you got in the bag?" The woman he guessed was some kind of intern or secretary said with almost an air of suspicion. Thank fully it was Hyuga that answered instead of the other two who he was certain would blow his cover. "Had another vegetable go bad in the produce aisle."

So much for being thankful.

"This is the guy from room 402, finally kicked the bucket, he's a pretty bad stinker too..." The last part was conspiratorial whisper said with grim disgust at which the intern made a gagging sound.

Since making this covert trek the Third Child had felt an itching sensation on his shin. That had been about five minutes ago and the itching was positively burning. He heard the conversation between the staff go on making the itching seem to grow even more painful.

What is it they say? The one you can't scratch is always the worst or something like at.

Shinji felt this to be true as they continued to blather on about how the dead man he was portraying was a nice fellow that had a series of strokes that lead to his vegetative state, and how sad it would be that his family had lost a loved one.

Frankly right now the Eva pilot could give a shit less about poor Mr. Urashima. And to hell with his girl scout troop of grandchildren!

Remembering his time in the EVA he tried to blank his mind slowing his breathing and slowly but surely winning out over the need to scratch said itch. This accomplished he listened into the 'would be rescuers' who seemed to have forgotten he was in the bag.

"A bullet that causes things to inflate? Even an eight year old can tell you that's just stupid!" Ritsuko seemed pretty upset. What had he missed since his little mental break?

He hear Aoba chuckle, "Don't worry about her she's just trying to hide her budding necrophilia"

"GRRR!" He heard the bottle blond growl.

That's when all hell broke loose.

Something hard presumably the good doctor's fist slammed directly into Shinji's balls. This had the direct affect of causing him to lurch as well as gasp at the sudden obliteration of his poor twins.

This wasn't unlike the chain reaction of an atom bomb. In his daze he made out the shriek of the intern and the sound of something falling into a chair then a clatter against the floor.

The next was the sudden blinding brightness of the hall along with the assault of fresh air which Shinji took a generous gasp of.

Next was the unfamiliar and a little disquieting embrace of the blond 'mad' doctor as Asuka had once called her. "I'm so sorry!" Was all he heard from her as she wrapped arms around him lovingly and running a soothing had through his hair.

Again that strange mix of tobacco and perfume flooded his nose causing a strange burning in his pain wrecked mind.

"I hate to break up this hallmark moment, but we got to scram. Now!"

He felt Ritsuko's head shift. "Shit!"

Turing his head to see what the problem was he blurrily made out a person with short dark hair scribbling on a clipboard.

Dr. Ibuki.

No sooner had he recognized her that she looked up from her clipboard with a perplexed expression that shifted into one of surprise.

"Stop them!" the short haired bridge bunny shouted giving immediate chase. At her sudden cry two men in white uniforms dashed from around the corner looking around before seeing him and his 'liberators'.

"Hang on!" Aoba shouted and with a sudden lurch Shinji felt the gurney take off down the all. Shinji was amazed to see Ritsuko sprint ahead grab tray from a cart and smash it over a sitting guards head, leaving him to slump to the floor in a heap. "Nice!" Hyuga said as he pushed the cart and was rejoined by the blond.

"That guy wouldn't stop grabbing my ass anyway." Shinji could hear the smug satisfaction roll out her panting lungs. How did she manage to run in those heels?

"What a pig." Came from the long haired bridge tech guiding the gurney as they flew down the hall.

"You're one to talk! You did the same thing when I first started!"

"Exactly what I mean, guy was trespassing on my territory!"

"My ass is not your territory!"

The Third child could only look back and forth at the sheer weirdness of the conversation. Shigeru harassing Dr. Akagi? He was pretty certain that any kind of advance made on the doctor would have been ground for dismissal or death, but in this strange place?

"Stop them!" The unmistakable shout of the Ibuki woman caused the young pilot to whip around and see that the orderlies, and her were gaining on them. This was not missed by Makoto who smiled at the Shinji.

"You guys go ahead I'll take care of this!" That said Shinji watched as he let go of the gurney, stumbled away till he was facing the three chasers head on and extended both his arms, clothes lining the two men and landing all three of them in a painful twisted pile.

To his amazement Maya managed to jump and clear the human wreckage in a graceful cat like leap.

Looking to the front to see Aoba's reaction, it was soon replaced with panic as another guard came streaking from the left hall. The long haired tech didn't miss this as he bolted from the front of the gurney shouting to Ritsuko, "He's all yours Ritsuko!"

Shigeru plowed into the guards mid-section like a pro-ball player sending one of the guards shoes into the air beaning a little girl in the head.

"Shit!" He whipped his head back to the good Doctor, who again took the back of the gurney and pushed it with all her might. Rounding a corner pair of sliding doors came into view. White light poured through the glass. Looking back Shinji watched the frazzled looking Maya skid into the hall after them. A pair of guards soon came into their feet stampeding through the hall causing techs and nurses to dodge or leap out of their way.

Looking to the front again the double doors were upon them when a red van came to a screeching stop in front of the double doors and its side door thrown open.

Before Shinji could comprehend it he felt Ritsuko violently grab him, causing a sense of free fall as he glided through the now open doors and landed hard on the floor of the van, knocking the wind out of him.

The door slammed shut causing the winded boy to wince and with a lurch and a screech felt the van start moving.

Feeling a sympathetic hand run through his hair he opened the eyes he's closed in preparation for striking the ground. He was startled to discover that his face was wedged in the doctor's firm (Shinji noted) bosom. Looking up a little in fear, he was even more shocked to find a concerned Ritsuko looking down at him.

"You okay, Shinji?" He felt her run another loving stroke through is messy hair.

Just who the hell was this woman?

And who the hell was driving? At that Shinji moved his face from the blonds assets to see who indeed was the get away driver.

Blinking from the glaring light coming in the windshield the driver did him the favor of turning and smiling at him. "Hey, Shinji, miss me?" Seeing the working man visage of his father at the wheel did little to unravel his nerves.

Not sure what to say he simply stared dumbly at the man who turned back to the task of driving. Hearing a flicking sound he turned his head to see the blond woman light a cigarette in her full lipstick covered lips, then take a deep drag causing her cheeks to hollow a bit and chest to rise at sucking on the stick.

He must have seen her do that a hundred times over the course of almost two years, but never before did it seem so...

Erotic.

Was it because this Ritsuko was more compassionate? Or was it that she just seemed to invade his personal space more?

So caught up in his musing little did he realize he was staring at the blond in mind who blew webs of smoke from her mature red lips. Looking deep into her green eyes he noticed a spark in them, something he'd not seen in her time as the head of project-E.

As he stared at her trying to figure out the mystery that was Dr. Akagi he noticed something was wrong with the color of her cheeks.

They were a bit too pink.

Realizing that he'd been most certainly staring at her and no less mere inches away he turned his head in embarrassment.

Awkward silence went on between the two as they took in the nuances of the ragged work van.

"You get a bit intense to look at when you stare at people..." Shinji turned to the blond who was now examining her cigarette, cheeks still tinged with color from what he guessed was embarrassment due to their proximity.

Again a silence settled between the two, filled only with the rocking and thrum of the commercial van as it made its way down the road.

So much had happened, in just the last two days. Was this really the world after Third Impact? Was this some kind of alternate reality that Rei was showing him? If it was, when would he wake from it?

These question ate at his brain like a cancer.

If what Ritsuko said was true, how much of this world would he remember? Did he have friends here? What was his house like? Was his dad really the kind man that held him after his horrid memory? And where were Rei and Asuka? Where were Touji and Kensuke? Were they just figments of his supposed coma nightmare?

No.

There was no way that the last year was just a head trauma dream. The pain he felt was real, the loss of everyone he loved was real. This world was the fake. It was some kind of sick twisted allegory for things he 'wished' were. Just another thing he couldn't have.

Shinji flinched as something touched his hair.

His dark musings broken he looked to see the strange parody of Dr. Akagi with a concerned expression with her hand timidly outstretched.

Moving it forward again he backed away a little but this did little to deter the blond.

With a soft touch the Third felt her fingers lace into his hair and lightly pull at the strands and message his scalp. This had the strange affect of making the boys eyes roll up into his head, and slowly lean his head into her chest.

Nightmare or no, the stress he'd endured was too much not to accept the invitation of a loving touch. Even coming from someone as unlikely as Ritsuko.

His ear against her, he could make out the rhythmic thumping of her heart while she played with his hair. If this was a dream from Rei, maybe this little reprieve wasn't so bad. Cause right now, just these little touches were sent from heaven, each one seeming to ease the tension out of his back.

And her smell.

He didn't know what it was about the mix of those two things, but they seemed to hit some kind of primal spot his brain that caused him to nuzzle deeper into the Doctor's embrace. He could feel her stop a moment at the movement that he was making, but as soon as he stopped she resumed her exploration of his dark locks.

After a moment he felt himself slip into a warm dreamless sleep that he was thankful for.

* * *

"Shinji..." The soft voice cut through the haze of oblivion.

"...come on, its time to get up..." Whose voice was this?

He took a breath that soon sent the answer to his brain.

Knowing that the voice was indeed Ritsuko's he blinked his eyes open to see that it was now dark or at the most twilight.

The door to the van slid open revealing his father in torn jeans and plaid shirt and all. Groggily he stepped out and feeling a draft he looked down to note he was still in a hospital gown.

The chill was cut away from him when a pair of firm hands wrapped him in a dark green woolen blanket. Looking from the rough hands to their owner, he stared in suspicion at the hand that was offered him.

Feeling his legs shake, he reluctantly took the hand.

It felt like rusted metal or weathered wood, but gave off warmth that neither had. He wondered what his real father's hands felt like.

Slipping his other free hand to support him, he leaned into the man as they made their way up a path. The slight wet sheen of the grass, the smell of the flowers coming from the window boxes. The warmth of the concrete bit sharp into his feet, but again it was welcome he need to feel something right now.

Where were they?

He heard a dog bark in the distance while a light flicked on in the house. Taking in more of the scene around him he noted that a pair of eyes peeked from a drawn set of blinds next door. The eyes seemed accusing and almost suspicious. When they noticed they had been seen the blinds snapped shut. This left the Eva pilot a little confused, but figured it took too much brain power to process at the moment.

He had more important things to do, such as maintaining his balance.

After what seemed like forever, the pair had made it to the front door of the house. Ritsuko slipped passed them intent on opening the door for the pair when it opened before she could touch the handle.

Standing in the door with an elated smile was the vice-commander. To Shinji he looked like he was about to cry again. After a moment the old man turned to Ritsuko who extended her hand, but was soon surprised to find herself in a bone crushing hug from the vice-commander. After a moment, and a thank you later Shinji watched as the old man scooted back into the door to make room for the pair.

Looking in, he noted the golden light that seemed to spill from the entryway and down the rich wood floors and across picture frames in the hall.

He looked up at the man claiming to be his father with questioning eyes.

His father smiled as they stepped past the thresh hold.

"Welcome home."

A/N: First I'd like to than Bdavi for Beta-reading on this. Without him it'd still be killing your eyes with my bad grammar and spelling. I'm really surprised at the explosion of comments I got asking me to continue. Also I got asked to advance the plot a bit so here you go!


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